All-Americans Katelynne Hart, Chloe Lindeman and Marcellus Moore lead a star-studded field this weekend at the Shirk Center

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

Some of the top Illinois track & field athletes will gather this weekend at Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center for the annual meeting of the Illinois Top Times Championships. The two-day meet begins on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. Central with the Class 1A Meet. Saturday’s morning session features the Class 2A Meet beginning at 9 a.m.CDT. The afternoon session begins at 1:30 CDT with the Class 3A Meet.

WATCH THE ILLINOIS TOP TIMES CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEET HEAT SHEETS

Katelynne Hart has been setting records this indoor season and will run in the 3A Girls 800 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run.

Marcellus Moore is the defending champion in the 200 Meter Dash. He will go after meet records Saturday in the 3A Boys 60 Meter Dash and 3A Boys 200 Meter Dash.

Chloe Lindeman won the national championship in the Shot Put at the New Balance Indoor Nationals. Lindeman will go after KD Young’s Meet Record in the 1A Girls Shot Put Friday afternoon.

Here are 10 storylines that you should keep an eye on during the Illinois Top Times Championships.

1 – Hart attack in the 3A Girls Distance Races

Katelynne Hart of Glenbard West has taken her racing to another level this indoor season. First was a record breaking 3200 Meter Run win in Michigan, then the fastest time ever for an Illinois Girls runner for 2-miles in finishing second at the New Balance Indoor Nationals, and then last week running another all-time indoor best in the 1600 Meter Run.

It will not be an easy road for Hart as she attempts the 800 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run within an hour of each other. The 3A Girls race is loaded with five of the top six runners in Class 3A entered including Erin Reidy of Downers Grove South and Claire Hill of Naperville North that have the fastest two times in the state. The way that Hart ran last week demonstrates that we could see another special race from this junior.

Hart could be going after the Class 3A Meet Record set by former Glenbard West runner Madeline Perez in the 1600 Meter Run. Hart won this race as a freshman, but just missed Perez’s record by eight hundredths of a second. She has the fastest seed time with the nation’s fastest time (4:44.49) for the distance and faster than anyone else running by 15 seconds. We could see two wins from this seven-time All-American. If we do, they could be special.

2 – Lindeman goes after Young Meet Record in Shot Put

Fulton’s Chloe Lindeman stepped into the spotlight last year finishing third in the indoor nationals and then winning this meet. It was a transfer of power you could say as she became the queen of the ring taking over from multi state champion KD Young who know attends the University of South Carolina.

Lindeman is in position to go for her second straight win in this meet. She has the confidence after winning the National Championship two weeks ago at New Balance Indoor Nationals. Lindeman has the second-best performance in the nation (49-8) that she achieved four days before going to New York.  That mark also surpassed the record that Young set in 2015 (49-1.25). But she will have to do it in the ring Friday afternoon to claim that.

Jasmine Mitchell of Thornwood is also in position to claim the meet record set by Young. Mitchell has a 48-2.5 personal best achieved two weeks ago to go after Young’s record. Mitchell could also get the 3A Meet Record that Courtney Morgan set (48-8) two years ago. We will find out how Mitchell fares on Saturday afternoon.

3 – More of Moore in the 2019 Top Times Championships

Plainfield North’s Marcellus Moore did not make it in time for the prelims of the 60 Meter Dash last year. A winter storm that hit most of Illinois slowed down the Plainfield North bus, but they still made it so that Plainfield North could win the 800 Meter Relay with Moore leading off, and then winning the Class 3A 200 Meter Dash.

Moore should not have any problems getting to Bloomington on Saturday. Temperatures outdoors are expected to be near 60 degrees. The junior has dominated the Illinois sprint scene this indoor season with bests of 6.65 seconds for 60-meters and 21.09 for 200-meters. He earned two All-American honors two weeks ago in New York finishing fourth in the 60 Meter Dash and second in the 200 Meter Dash.

He will be the overwhelming favorite in both events with chances of going after Jonathan Boey’s 6.78 meet record for 60-meters and 21.58 set by Josh Eiker three years ago. We will also see Moore a part of Plainfield North quartet that are set to defend their title against a tough field headed by Crete-Monee.

Moore has the fastest 100 Meter Dash time outdoors. He is set to make some more history late Saturday afternoon.

4 – Repeat of Outdoor 3A State Hurdle Race

The finish in Charleston last May in the Class 3A 100 Meter Hurdles was electrifying as Homewood-Flossmoor’s Kaylah McCall edged Halle Bieber by seven hundredths of a second for the state title.

It could be even closer when the finalists for the 3A Girls settle into the blocks Saturday afternoon. McCall and Bieber will be challenging each other. So will Kayla Walters of Bolingbrook who has the fastest 3A time for the distance (8.60). McCall’s best indoors is 8.61. Bieber has not run this distance but has a best of 8.36 for the 55 Meter Hurdles. Erin Oleksak of Palatine has been hot this indoor season having run 8.21 last Saturday for the 55-meter distance at North Central College.

Get your magnifying glasses out to examine the finish photo. It could be that close.

5 – Homewood-Flossmoor, their relays, and more

Homewood-Flossmoor could be a little tired of finishing second in Charleston the past two years. You can see that the Lady Vikings have a chip on their shoulder from the performances that they have put out there this indoor season. HF could be ready to take the final step to the top of the mountain by the time we get to May.

The Lady Vikings won both the 800 Meter Relay and 1600 Meter Relay finals in the 3A Meet last year. They are back ready to defend with the fastest times in the 800 Meter Relay (1:43.25) and the 1600 Meter Relay (3:59.92). They will have Kaylah McCall in the 60 Meter Dash, 200 Meter Dash and in the 60 Meter Hurdles.  Trelyn Newkirk will be in the relays and could make her presence known in the 60 Meter Dash.

In the field events, Madison Myrick has been in fire having some of the top marks in the Long Jump and the High Jump. She will compete in both events on Saturday. Trinity Daniels could also be in a factor in the Triple Jump.

One way or the other, you will see a lot of Red and White in front of the sprints, relays, and some of the field events. Homewood-Flossmoor is looking to make a statement. They could just do that in this meet.

6 – 2A Boys 3200 Meter Run could be a classic

Garrett Dixon of Monticello and Mathias Powell of Mahomet-Seymour raced against each other one-time last fall during the cross-country season. In the Richard Spring Invitational in September, Powell finished third while Dixon finished 14 seconds behind in 11^th place. At state at Detweiller Park in November, Powell ran away from the field to win the 2A state title. Dixon pulled away in the 1A race with Christopher Collett catching him in the final 400-meters.

The scenario should be different for both on Saturday morning in the Class 2A 3200 Meter Run. Dixon has run only one race at this distance this winter. It was a 9:24.11 in winning at Southern Illinois University by 35 seconds lapping the field. Powell opened up his season last week at Eastern Illinois University where he ran 9:30.17 to win his 3200 race by 39 seconds.

What we could see is both runners pushing each other under 9:20. They could surpass the state season best of Tyler Cushing (9:18). They could even push each other to a time close to the 2A Meet record of 9:13 set by Clay Elward nine years ago. It should be a great race to watch.

7 – Wilson, Bolden competing, but not against each other

It is a shame that we will not see Serena Bolden of Springfield Southeast and Ameia Wilson of Danville racing against each other on Saturday. Both will be in the Shirk Center on Saturday. Bolden will be running in the 2A Meet in the morning. Wilson will compete in the 3A Meet in the afternoon.

The last time that the two raced against each other was last weekend at the University of Illinois. In the 60 Meter Dash, Bolden ran the fastest time this season for the distance (7.57) and defeated Wilson who ran an IL #2 7.68. They competed against each other in the Long Jump. Bolden got the win again jumping 18-11 while Wilson jumped 18-6. Both marks were seasonal bests.

The competition would have been great against each other. Both could dominate their classification. Bolden will be the big favorite in the Long Jump, Triple Jump, and the 60 Meter Dash. She will also be a part of her team’s quartet that is the top seed in the 800 Meter Relay.

Wilson is the defending champion in the 60 Meter Dash and could get close to Shaliyah Dixon-Tucker’s 3A record of 7.50. She is also the top seed in the 200 Meter Dash and will be in a great field in the Long Jump.

8 – Another kick from Wells?

How many times have you seen Riley Wells of Rockford Christian kick down a field to win a race? Wells did it in the Shirk Center last year in setting a new Class 1A meet record in the 800 Meter Run and bringing his team back to win the 1600 Meter Relay.

We could possibly see him in three events again Saturday morning in the 2A Meet. Wells will be the big favorite in the 800 Meter Run with the fastest seed time by two seconds. He is also on the relay cards for the 3200 Meter Relay and the 1600 Meter Relay.

So, watch those three races for a swift blaze of blue going past you. It will be the last time we will see “The Mad Kicker” run down his competition in this meet and the Shirk Center.

9 – Barr and Walcott look for multiple wins

Colfax-Ridgeview won the 1A Boys state team title last May based on the performances from Mason Barr and Tate Walcott. Both seniors again should again put on a show in the 1A Meet beginning Friday afternoon.

Walcott had the longest mark in the state when he jumped 23-5.75 in this facility last week at the Heart of Illinois Invitational. He will be the favorite. He will also anchor Ridgeview’s 800 Meter Relay as well as being in contention to win the 60 Meter Dash and the 200 Meter Dash.

Barr could have a big night in the Shirk Center. He will be the favorite in the 60 Meter Hurdles and could set a new 1A Meet record. He is not on the relay card but could run in the 800 Meter Relay. Barr will also be a co-favorite with Walcott in the 200 Meter Dash.

When the 1A session is over, they could be some 1A coaches shaking their heads trying figure out how they will catch Ridgeview this May in Charleston.

10 – Nettles and Switzer push each other one more time

It seems like it is a “tradition” that Kenli Nettles of Arthur-Lovington and DaeLin Switzer of St. Teresa compete against each other in multiple events in a meet. These multi-event wonders will face each other twice in the Class 1A Meet Friday evening.

Switzer has been hot of late especially in the High Jump. The senior jumped a state leading 5-8 in the Shirk Center last week. Nettles is the defending champion in this event and cleared 5-5.25 in Tennessee at the beginning of February. Both should be again battling for the win.

Nettles could break the 1A Meet Record in the 60 Meter Hurdles. Nettles has a best time of 8.90 again in the Tennessee meet and within reach of Jenny Kimbro’s 1A record of 8.82 seconds. Switzer only has a season’s best of 9.53 and a personal best of 9.32 seconds.

Keep an eye on Nettles also in the 400 Meter Dash. She will be the big favorite in the final section. Her seasonal best of 58.73 is almost three seconds faster than the rest of the field.